Points of Pride
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As a renowned hub for science, engineering, and innovation, South Dakota Mines has a rich history of academic excellence and impactful research.
Set in the beautiful backdrop of the Black Hills, our location is the ideal place to get outside, be curious, and be adventurous. Students, faculty, and staff alike take their passions outside the classroom to cultivate a close-knit community that keeps our graduates coming back. Learn more about what makes South Dakota Mines an exceptional place to learn, grow, and achieve.
Strong Outcomes
Accolades and Honors
Prestigious Awards
- Fulbright Scholars: David LaPorte, 2016; Broc Kokesh, 2018
- Goldwater Scholars: Andrew Farke (2003); Jesse Hinricher (2015); William Trevillyan (2018); and William Jackson “Jack” Carpenter (2019)
- 2x NCAA Google Academic All-American: Justin Barkow (2017 & 2018)
- First place in Governor’s Giant Vision Business Competition, Student Division: (2015-2020 & 2022)
- South Dakota Mines Professor SD Entrepreneur of the Year (2018)
University Rankings
- #1 in seven categories, including best college, best value, top public university, and best academics (Niche)
- Top 1% of the best small colleges in America (Niche)
- Top Regional University in South Dakota and #4 in the Midwest (US News and World Report)
- Top Colleges for 2022 (Forbes)
- Ranked 27th out of 710 public universities for lifetime earnings (Georgetown University)
- #3 best university in the nation for veteran's graduate school category (Military Friendly)
- Top 1% for multiple engineering degrees in both regional and national rankings (College Factual)
From Students to Industry Innovators
A range of organizations have placed South Dakota Mines among the top universities in the state and nation. The rankings list affirms Mines’ long-standing reputation as a best-in-class STEM university.
To put it simply, our graduates change the world. Mines alumni are highly valued innovators who frequently become leaders in their fields. Our graduates make a difference, and these rankings reflect their success.
Alumni Achievements
Serious About Success. Passionate About Fun.
Campus Points of Interest
Just having people around that you can talk to and always have someone there, I feel like that’s a really cool thing.
Just having people around that you can talk to and always have someone there, I feel like that’s a really cool thing.
Just having people around that you can talk to and always have someone there, I feel like that’s a really cool thing.
Strong Outcomes - 2021-22 Graduates
Placement: 98% of graduates are placed in jobs within their career field or have been accepted to graduate school, including medical school.
Average Starting Salary: $70,036
Our starting salary information is based on actual numbers reported by graduates.
This information differs from College Scorecard information because our data includes
all students, not just those who received some form of federal financial aid.
Employers: 186 employers in 33 states
Job Placement and ROI
We're serious about maximizing our students' return on investment. In fact, for the past four years, College Factual named South Dakota Mines the best engineering school for the money out of 323 similar schools in the U.S. Our graduates work for state agencies, small businesses, and for such powerhouse companies as Google, Garmin, Barrick Gold, Microsoft, NASA, and Amazon.
Prestigious Awards
| Fulbright Scholars (2) | David LaPorte, 2016; Broc Kokesh, 2018 |
| Goldwater Scholars (4) | Andrew Farke, 2003; Jesse Hinricher, 2015; William Trevillyan, 2018; William Jackson “Jack” Carpenter, 2019 |
| 2x NCAA Google Academic All-American (1) | Justin Barkow, 2017 & 2018 |
| First place in Governor's Giant Vision Business Competition, Student Division | (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2022) |
| South Dakota Mines Professor SD Entrepreneur of the Year | (2018) |
*Read the article here.
Military and Veteran Friendly
Our nation's veterans served our nation with honor, and we work tirelessly to honor their sacrifice. Military Friendly ranks South Dakota Mines third in the United States for veterans while College Factual ranks South Dakota Mines among the top 10% of universities in the nation for veterans. South Dakota Mines has also been ranked the best university in the state for veterans.
Learn more about our Veterans Resource Center.
Outstanding Alumni
- South Dakota Mines has over 20,000 alumni
- Nearly 200 business owners
- Over 500 CEO's and Senior Executives
Notable Alumni
University Rankings
| #1 in seven categories, including best college, best value, best professors, and best academics (Niche) |
| #9 nationally and #2 in the Midwest based on recommendations from surveyed students and recent alumni (Wall Street Journal) |
| Top 6% of the best small colleges in America (Niche) |
| Top Regional University in South Dakota and #7 in the Midwest (US News and World Report) |
| Top Colleges for 2023 (Forbes) |
| #31 in the nation for return on investment (Wall Street Journal) |
| #2 in the nation for service to veterans (Military Friendly) |
| Top 1% for multiple engineering degrees in both regional and national rankings (College Factual) |
Read more: November 2023 rankings press release
Top Employers of Graduates
- Abbott
- Archer Daniels Midland
- Baker Hughes
- Barrick Gold
- Burns McDonnell
- Cargill
- Caterpillar
- Daktronics
- Disney
- Dow Chemical
- Emerson Process Management
- Exxon Mobile
- Freeport McMoran
- Garmin
- Gold Corp
- Halliburton
- Innovative Systems
- Kiewit
- Kimberly Clark
- L-3 Communications
- Lockheed Martin
- Lyondell Basell
- Microsoft
- Nucor
- Peabody
- Raven Industries
- RESPEC
- Rockwell Collins
- SD DENR
- SD DOT